Wednesday’s Under-23s picked up their first point on the road this season after a closely-fought 1-1 draw with Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on Tuesday.
The Owls took the lead through Will Buckley after the break, while the Blades levelled proceedings from Ben Whiteman’s cracking strike.
The draw ensured that Neil Thompson’s side have collected seven points from four league outings this term, with victories over Millwall and Birmingham, and a solitary defeat to Coventry.
Thompson was pleased with how the players matched rivals United stride for stride and said: “It was a keenly-contested game, and we started quite well.
“We created some really good opportunities, it was just the final pass missing.
“They got a bit of momentum in the end with the goal and we were hanging on a little but the draw was a fair result in the end.
“I thought we could have moved the ball quicker. The quicker you move the ball, you are shifting the opposition around, and that is what these young players are going to learn.”
Thompson explained it is the winning mentality and eagerness of the players to develop themselves that matters and he continued: “We want to go out and try to win every single match.
“I have got a good group of young players this year. We have improved year-on-year in the last two or three years.
“It is Under-23 football now and most of our players are 18 or 19. So we still have to be patient and when we can add one or two seniors to it, it certainly helps the situation.
“You have got to give them time. Everyone develops at different rates; they have got to let their body and football knowledge mature, and then you have got to see if they can handle it at the next level.”